As Director of Corporate Social Responsibility here at TeamBonding, I’ve seen firsthand how the benefits of volunteering extend far beyond what most people realize.
Giving back to others can positively impact your employees’ mental health and overall well-being. There’s a direct link between volunteering and improved mental health, and that’s just the beginning.
In this guide, I’ll explore the benefits of voluntary work for both individuals and teams. We’ll dive into the mental health benefits of volunteering, team building advantages, and business impacts that make employee volunteering a win-win for everyone involved.
My #1 Rule: Volunteering Should Be Enjoyable
Before we jump into the benefits, I want to share something I’ve learned: forcing people to participate in volunteering activities that they dislike isn’t going to help anyone.
In contrast, regularly participating in enjoyable volunteering activities can help your employees reduce stress, avoid depression, and reduce feelings of isolation.
Instead of picking activities for your team, let them vote on their favorite cause to support as a group. You can also encourage them to choose or suggest volunteer opportunities based on their interests, not what others think they should do.
For example, if some of your employees enjoy hiking, cleaning up a nearby hiking trail could be a perfect choice. Likewise, employees who love animals might be more invested in helping an animal shelter.
When you encourage your team members to help others in a way that’s also enjoyable for them, this creates feelings of satisfaction, accomplishment, and community that you can’t match with simple job responsibilities.
5 Mental Health Benefits of Volunteering
The psychology of volunteering shows that positive effects are felt almost immediately. Volunteers feel happier and more relaxed when they focus on other people’s needs instead of their own.
These effects are more potent and longer-lasting in those who consistently give their time or expertise, but even occasional altruism can be an excellent mood booster. Honestly, I think it’s always a good idea to volunteer for mental health!
Here’s a list of the five most significant mental health benefits of helping others.
1. Fosters a Sense of Purpose
According to the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, volunteering can help people overcome depression. This study concluded that the most probable reason for the improvement is that people are more sociable when they volunteer.
Loneliness and isolation are known causes of depression, as is futility. Most of us get into a funk and spend time stressing out over work and paying our bills on time. In doing so, we forget to take time to enjoy life, which can lead to depression.
Through volunteering, we discover a deeper meaning of life that helps us overcome negative emotions. It can be difficult to do good things for yourself. But when you’re in a position to do something good for others, you’re more likely to follow through with it.
2. Creates a Sense of Belonging
Volunteering can help alleviate feelings of isolation and loneliness. This is huge for modern employees since today’s increased focus on remote work can intensify these feelings of alienation.
Helping others can make employees feel like they belong to a purpose-driven group of like-minded people. Since everyone on the team is invested in the same cause, they naturally talk to and engage with each other as they progress with their activities.
Having common interests also creates a sense of community and camaraderie among volunteers. This sense of belonging helps develop feelings of happiness and contentment that replace those of isolation.
3. Increases Happiness
A study by the Journal of Social Psychology demonstrated that people who give to others generally feel happier.
In the experiment, one group was encouraged to do something good for someone else for ten days, the other was told to do something new, and the third group wasn’t given any specific instructions.
The results confirmed that the participants who practiced acts of kindness reported experiencing more feelings of happiness compared to the other two groups.
Most people just feel happier when they know they’ve positively impacted someone’s life, by either donating money, volunteering their time, or sharing their skills and expertise.
4. Boosts Self-Confidence
Being generous and helping those in need is an excellent way to boost self-confidence. Plus, people who give back or volunteer also achieve higher levels of self-worth. These traits are all essential for those in leadership positions.
Employees who volunteer are also eager to take on new responsibilities or become more productive in their current positions.
5. Reduces Stress
Volunteering is also known to reduce stress. Relieving work-related tension in a healthy and purposeful way is crucial to preventing burnout and decreases in productivity.
Even employees who love their job need a mental and physical break from time to time. By encouraging team members to refocus their attention from work to a meaningful cause, they will naturally feel more energized and less stressed out.
The Team Building Advantages of Volunteer Work
Beyond the mental health benefits, volunteerism also creates fantastic team building opportunities that most traditional corporate activities simply can’t match.
Here are two of the many benefits of volunteering that we hear the most about from our clients here at TeamBonding—I’ve witnessed both of these in action, and they’re no joke.
You’ll Gain a Huge Sense of Achievement as a Group
You’ve probably bonded with your coworkers over drinks or at office parties, but bonding over working towards a cause is different. Volunteerism allows members of your group to work together in new ways and experience a deeper, more meaningful payoff of helping others.
Working together to cook food for those in need or to build bikes to donate to children who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford one is so much different than working together in the office.
The sense of accomplishment this creates is powerful because you’re changing lives, the world, or your community. You’ll also grow together as a group and, on a personal level, you gain self-esteem and self-worth that you’ll associate with your colleagues.
You’ll Create Memorable Experiences Outside the Office
Giving back to others is a great reason to get up from your desk and get out of the office, and it’s sure to make some memories! There’s something special about a day that’s dedicated to helping your community.
It may be the first time some of your staff have ever volunteered, or the first time many of them have volunteered with their team members. Talk about a guaranteed way to create lasting memories!
Imagine the excitement your team would feel hopping on the Do Good Bus, and the anticipation as they ride to a mystery location for a day of feel-good fun. Or the joy they’d feel doing something like building skateboards for kids at a local skate park.
The possibilities for creating lasting memories are truly endless. After all, who wants their best memories of work to be times that you sat around the office with coworkers going about your daily routines?
The Business Benefits of Volunteering
As someone who oversees corporate social responsibility initiatives, I’ve witnessed firsthand how the advantages of volunteer work extend to business outcomes. Here’s what I’m talking about:
- Supports CSR Goals: Most companies today have corporate social responsibility goals, and with good reason. Volunteerism and CSR help improve brand recognition, capital growth, sustainability, and so much more.
- Improves Employee Retention: Companies with strong volunteer programs see higher employee retention rates. Employees who believe in their company as a force for good are more likely to stay engaged and committed to the organization.
- Enhances Company Culture: Employee volunteering helps reinforce company culture and values through action, not just on paper. You’re creating a culture where people genuinely care about making a difference together.
Foster Better Team Relationships: Charitable team building events are a proven way to increase creativity and collaboration, build trust, and foster open communication among employees.
How Can You Encourage Your Employees to Volunteer?
Team building is a fantastic way to make volunteering and giving back more fun and engaging for your team, whether you’re remote, hybrid, or in person.
Earlier in this guide, I suggested letting your team vote on an activity they’d like to do—this is a great way to pick your first event. Here are some of my favorite events to get you started:
- Do Good Bus: By hopping on the Do Good Bus, your team will participate in activities that directly impact the environment, benefit those in need, or help four-legged creatures living among us.
- Helping Hands: With this one, your team can work together to assemble care kits for community members affected by natural disasters or homelessness while improving their communication and collaboration skills.
- Operation Military Care: This charitable team building activity will allow your employees to create care packages for U.S. military personnel at overseas bases or stateside hospitals.
- Play It Forward: This one has a fun game show format with a charitable twist! Your team will compete in pricing challenges and trivia to win it all for charity so they can give back to your community! It’s an unforgettable event where fun meets philanthropy!
Getting Started with Your Volunteer Program
Ready to harness the benefits of volunteering for your team? Start by surveying your employees about causes they’re passionate about. Then, look for opportunities that align with both employee interests and your company’s values.
Remember, the most successful volunteer programs are those where participation feels meaningful and optional, not dull and mandatory.
These are just some of the ways TeamBonding can help unite your team, improve their mental health, strengthen their collaboration, and improve your company culture. Didn’t find a good fit? That’s okay—we have tons of charitable programs to choose from!
Contact us today and ask us how we can make your volunteering event an unforgettable experience for everyone.
